Philadelphia's New Wage Law Requires Paid Sick Leave for Workers

This summer, the 21st Century Minimum Wage Standard took effect in Philadelphia.

Under this ordinance, employers doing business with the city must give paid sick leave to their employees, as reported in Business Management Daily. This ordinance went into effect July 1.

The ordinance breaks down employers into groups, depending on their size. Larger employers must give more hours of paid leave than smaller ones.

Employees at companies employing five to 11 employees are entitled to 32 hours of paid sick leave per calendar year. Those at companies employing 12 or more are entitled to 56 hours of leave.

Sick leave begins to accrue from the first day on the job, but entitlement to use the leave begins after 90 days. In addition to using sick leave for personal illness, it can also be used for the care of a family member.

The ordinance applies to certain employers, namely those doing business with the city of Philadelphia. This includes:

• The city itself and its agencies;
• For-profit contactors with city contracts totaling more than $10,000 in a year;
• Nonprofit contractors with contracts worth more than $100,000 that year;
• Recipients of city leases and concessions with more than 25 employees; and
• Recipients of city financial aid totaling more than $100,000 in a year (including grants, loans, loan guarantees, tax incentives, in-kind services, waivers of city fees and real property).

In any event, the Family Medical Leave Act also applies to employees of the city and to some of its contracting companies. Under the FMLA, an eligible employee can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave during a 12-month period for occasions such as pregnancy, a new baby, caring for a family member (i.e. a spouse, parent or child) with a serious health condition, or for one’s own serious health condition.

If you have any questions about sick leave in Philadelphia, check out our directory of Philadelphia employment attorneys and see if you can set up a free consultation with one.

Related Resources:

• Find a Philadelphia Employment Lawyer (FindLaw)
• FMLA Eligibility Requirements for Philadelphia Employees (FindLaw’s Philadelphia Employment Law News)
• Starting a Family? See If You Can Get Time Off Under the FMLA (FindLaw’s Philadelphia Employment Law News)